Regularization-eviction doublespeak - News reports of 01 and 02.09.04

A high-level meeting between Union Urban Development Minister and Delhi Chief Minister and Ministers for Urban Development and Industries “also discussed declaring areas with over 70% industries as conforming or 'industrial areas'” (Times of India, 01.09.041). “The issue of relocation of industries as per the Supreme Court directives was also discussed … It was decided that there should be a scientific survey of industrialised residential colonies and the views of all stake holders including residents should be taken into account. The results of the same would be submitted to the apex court” (HT, 01.09.04, text below). A “door-to-door survey to identify the number of industrial units, especially hazardous-pollutant ones, in residential areas” will be completed within three months (Express Newsline, 02.09.042).

And a high-level committee set up by MoUD “is understood to have held a series of meetings with top officials from NCR States… to explore the possibilities of finding ways and means to "accelerate" relocation of small-scale and tiny industries from Delhi to the National Capital Region” (The Hindu3).

1.Development cost to go upNEW DELHI: Delhi government is likely to increase development costs for regularisation of unauthorised colonies. Officials will make 'modifications' to the 1977 regularisation policy before it can be adopted. The issue was discussed with the Union urban development minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday.

3.New industrial policy for NCR likelyNEW DELHI, AUG. 31. Aimed at decongesting Delhi of tiny and small-scale industries, a new investor-friendly policy that takes the National Capital Region as a unit is in the offing.

The development charges for regularising unauthorised colonies will be decided afresh by the Urban Development Ministry. These charges will be lesser than what had been proposed by the NDA government prior to the Lok Sabha elections. The cut-off date for the number colonies to be regularised will also be decided again.

This decision was taken at a meeting between Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday. Delhi ministers A.K. Walia and Mangat Ram Singhal were also present.

The Delhi government had proposed the 1977 model for regularisation wherein, 607 colonies were regularised at very nominal rates. These colonies have till date not paid the development charges amounting to Rs 500 crore. Only Rs 1.5 crore have been paid so far. T he 1977 model was, however, rejected by Azad and UD officials on the ground that it would attract squatters and colonisers from other states.

The new regularisation charges will now be decided in about a week’s time and they will be lesser than the ones proposed by the NDA government, officials said. The NDA government had announced the decision to regularise 1,900 unauthorised colonies by charging varying conversion costs from affluent and non-affluent colonies on public and private land.

According to this plan, a 50 square metre plot holder would have to pay Rs 30,000 as regularisation charges, which would be one tenth of the cost of the land.

The issue of relocation of industries as per the Supreme Court directives was also discussed at the high-level meeting. It was decided that there should be a scientific survey of industrialised residential colonies and the views of all stake holders including residents should be taken into account. The results of the same would be submitted to the apex court.